What Is a Favicon — and Why Does Every Website Need One?
A favicon (short for "favorite icon") is the small image that appears in your browser tab, next to your page title. It also shows up in browser bookmarks, saved shortcuts on mobile home screens, and in search engine results on some browsers. While it is a tiny detail — typically just 16x16 or 32x32 pixels — it has a surprisingly large impact on how professional and trustworthy your website feels to visitors.
Think about how you navigate between open browser tabs. You rarely read the full tab title — you scan for the icon. A website without a favicon shows a generic grey or blank square, which looks unfinished and can cause visitors to lose your tab in a crowded browser window. A custom favicon solves this instantly. It makes your site identifiable at a glance, reinforces your brand, and signals that you care about the details of your site's presentation.
For bloggers, small business owners, and anyone building a web presence, adding a favicon is one of the simplest and most impactful finishing touches you can apply. This free favicon generator lets you create one from any image in seconds — no design software, no technical knowledge, and no account required.
How to Use the Rekreay Favicon Generator (Step-by-Step)
Creating a custom favicon takes less than a minute. Here is a complete walkthrough:
- Select your image: Click the "Select Image" button and choose a PNG, JPG, or WEBP image from your device. For the best result, use a square image with a simple, bold design — a logo, monogram, or icon works much better than a detailed photograph at small sizes.
- Choose your icon size: Enter the pixel size you need. The default of 64x64 is a good all-purpose choice. See the size guide below if you are unsure which size to use.
- Click "Generate Favicon": The tool processes your image instantly inside your browser. A live preview appears showing how your favicon will look in a browser tab.
- Download your file: Click the green download button to save your favicon as a PNG file, ready to upload to your website or blog.
Favicon Size Guide — Which Size Should You Use?
Different platforms and devices use different favicon sizes. Here is a practical guide to help you choose the right one for your needs:
| Size | Where It Is Used | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|
| 16×16 | Browser tabs, address bar | Standard minimum — all websites |
| 32×32 | Windows taskbar shortcuts, pinned tabs | Better quality on Windows desktop |
| 64×64 | High-DPI displays, retina screens | Sharpest result on modern screens |
| 180×180 | iOS "Add to Home Screen" icon | Mobile web apps and PWAs |
| 192×192 | Android home screen shortcut | Android PWA icons |
For most bloggers and small websites, generating a 64×64 favicon covers the majority of use cases. If you are building a Progressive Web App (PWA) or want full mobile home screen support, generate additional sizes at 180×180 and 192×192.
How to Add a Favicon to Your Blogger Blog
Once you have downloaded your favicon file, here is how to add it to a Blogger blog:
- Log in to your Blogger Dashboard.
- Go to Settings in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down to the "Basic" section and find "Favicon".
- Click the pencil/edit icon next to Favicon.
- Upload your downloaded PNG file and click Save.
- Wait a few minutes and refresh your blog — your new favicon should appear in the browser tab.
Note: Blogger compresses uploaded favicons to 100×100 pixels, so starting with a 64×64 or larger file ensures the sharpest result after Blogger processes it.
How to Add a Favicon to a WordPress or Custom Website
For WordPress sites, go to Appearance → Customize → Site Identity and upload your favicon under the "Site Icon" section. WordPress recommends a 512×512 source image, which it then resizes automatically for different contexts.
For a custom HTML website, add this line inside the <head>
section of your HTML file:
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon.png">Upload your favicon.png to the root directory of your website (the same folder as your index.html file), and the browser will automatically pick it up.
Tips for Designing a Good Favicon
Because favicons are displayed at very small sizes, not all images work equally well. Here are some practical design tips to get the best result:
- Use a square source image. Favicons are always square. If your logo or image is rectangular, crop it to a square before uploading, focusing on the most recognizable part of the design.
- Keep it simple. Fine details, small text, and complex patterns become unreadable at 16×16 or 32×32 pixels. A single letter, a simple icon, or a bold geometric shape works best.
- Use high contrast. Your favicon needs to be visible against both light and dark browser themes. Avoid light colors on white backgrounds or dark colors on dark backgrounds.
- Use PNG with transparency. If your logo has a transparent background, use a PNG file as your source image. This prevents an ugly white or colored square appearing around your icon in the tab.
- Test at small sizes before finalizing. Use the live preview in this tool to check how your favicon looks at 16×16 before downloading. What looks sharp at full size may look blurry when shrunk.
Why This Tool Is Safe to Use
Many online tools require you to upload your images to a remote server for processing. This means your files are transmitted over the internet and temporarily stored on someone else's computer — which raises real privacy concerns, especially for business logos, brand assets, or images containing personal information.
This favicon generator works entirely differently. When you select an image, it is read by your browser's built-in FileReader API and processed using an HTML5 Canvas element — all on your own device, entirely in memory. Nothing is sent to any server. The generated favicon is created locally and offered as a direct browser download. Your files never leave your computer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a favicon and why do I need one?
A favicon is the small icon displayed in browser tabs, bookmarks, and address bars next to your website name. It helps visitors identify and return to your site quickly, especially when they have many tabs open. Without one, your site shows a generic blank square, which looks unprofessional. Adding a favicon is one of the simplest ways to make your website look complete and trustworthy.
What image formats does this tool support?
This tool accepts PNG, JPG, JPEG, and WEBP image files. PNG is the recommended format if your image has a transparent background, as the transparency will be preserved in the generated favicon. JPG works well for photographs and solid-background logos.
Which file format is best for favicons — ICO or PNG?
The traditional .ico format is supported by all browsers including very old versions of Internet Explorer. However, all modern browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — fully support PNG favicons, and PNG is generally easier to work with. This tool generates a PNG favicon, which works correctly on all current browsers and platforms including Blogger, WordPress, and custom HTML sites.
What is the best favicon size for most websites?
For most websites and blogs, a 64×64 pixel favicon is the best all-purpose choice. It displays sharply on standard and high-DPI (retina) screens. If you also want your site to look great when added to a mobile home screen, generate an additional version at 180×180 for iOS or 192×192 for Android.
Are my images saved on your server?
No. This tool processes images entirely inside your browser using JavaScript and the HTML5 Canvas API. Your files are never uploaded to any server, transmitted over the internet, or stored anywhere outside your own device. This makes it completely safe for confidential business logos and brand assets.
Is this favicon generator free to use?
Yes, completely free. There are no hidden fees, no account registration, no watermarks on the output, and no limit on how many favicons you can generate.
My favicon is not showing up after I uploaded it. What should I do?
Browser favicon caching is the most common cause of this. Try clearing your browser cache or opening your site in a private/incognito window to see the new favicon. On Blogger, it can also take a few minutes after uploading before the change becomes visible. If it still does not appear, double-check that the file was uploaded correctly and that the link tag in your page's head section points to the correct file path.
Can I use this tool on my phone?
Yes. The tool works in mobile browsers on both Android and iOS. You can select an image from your phone's photo gallery, generate the favicon, and download it directly to your device.
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